Question Everything: Soloing and repetition

This is just something I've been curious about for a while.

Some taiko players, when they solo, often repeat patterns or measures.  Some hardly or never do.  Why is that?

I wonder how much of it is conscious choice vs. habit, for one.  Do some people use repetition to think of what to play next?  Or play different patterns because they're letting their hands/body play patterns without thinking of what it sounds like?

Also curious how much of it is due to the music a person listened/listens to.  Do people who repeat patterns listen to music that's more repetitive?  A lot of music is repetitive though, so what about people who don't repeat much in their solos, did they listen to a lot of soloing without it?

There's nothing wrong with either "style" of soloing, but it makes me curious why people pick one way or the other - or even if they do pick, and instead just default to whatever feels natural?

What about you, what do you prefer when you solo and why?  What about the rest of your group?  Again, there's no judging here, only observation and questions.  The more you know, the more you can grow!